ALL IN: 100% Employee Engagement

Mike Morrison, the Dean of Toyota University, wrote a wonderful book: The Other Side of the Card: Where Your Authentic Leadership Story Begins. Click here to read a previous article on this book.

I also receive Mike’s newsletter and appreciate the leadership “wake up” calls he sends out. I loved a recent newsletter about “all in.” Mike used the poker strategy of “all in” to look at when do we go “all in” at work.

Here is a section from that newsletter:

Very few of our activities ever reach this level of commitment – especially in our organizational lives where the game is much more about positioning, politics, and being opportunistic. …I am curious to know the things in your work life where you personally are “all in.” By “all in” . . . I mean fully committed to a high-level action. Not just, “I support the initiative but I’m still waiting to see if it gains more momentum across the organization.” Or, worse yet, “I’m waiting for my boss to weigh in first.” When we are “all in” – we gain the special powers that come from making a commitment. We are released from the anxiety of waiting and making small incremental gestures – and rewarded with a feeling of confidence for stepping forward. We also gain access to the additional resources that come our way as others will always gravitate to action, meaning, and leadership.

Where are you “all in”? It’s a great question. Ask your colleagues and team members. It will give you a sense of what matters most. It will also give you great insight into the culture – cautious or courageous? As leaders, we live on the “other side of the card” – willing to take the kinds of risk that create meaningful change!